The present invention relates generally to a power management control system and, in particular, to software that implements and automates the development of a virtual modular relay device.
Power management control systems allow an operator to monitor and control a variety of intelligent electronic devices within an electrical distribution system. Such devices can include relays, meters, switches, etc., which are generally mounted within a common switchgear cabinet to create a control panel. Modem power management control systems also include modular relay devices, such as General Electric Co.'s Universal Relay family of modular relay devices, mounted within the switchgear cabinet. A modular relay device allows the operator to monitor and control a group of devices in the distribution system. Modular relay devices can provide, for example, line current differential protection, distance protection, transformer management, feeder management, breaker management, and substation automation. Each modular relay device can monitor a number of system conditions, including current, voltage, and power quality, and current and voltage phasors. Modular relay devices are user-configurable, multi-function devices that include a plurality of interchangeable modules. These modules may be added or removed to meet the needs of the user. In sum, each modular relay device provides a customizable method of remotely monitoring and controlling the condition or status of a number of devices in the electrical system.
Some power management control systems include a computer connected to a common bus or network that allows communication between the intelligent electronic devices and the computer. The common bus or network may include a local-area-network, a wide-area-network, and/or the Internet. These so called computerized power management control systems allow a user to monitor and control the various intelligent electronic devices from a remote computer terminal. For these power management control systems, there is a need for a virtual (computer-simulated) intelligent electronic device to emulate the output and/or control interface of each of the intelligent electronic devices in the electrical distribution circuit. In other words, the user interface on the computer terminal must offer the same or similar outputs and controls as the actual intelligent electronic device, and the program running on the computer terminal must link the input and output signals to and from the actual intelligent electronic device with the virtual intelligent electronic device shown on the screen.
Modern computerized power management control systems offer a selection of pre-programmed virtual electronic devices that emulate a corresponding selection of actual intelligent electronic devices. Each actual intelligent electronic device has its own unique virtual intelligent electronic device. When configuring a computerized power management control system, the user simply selects the virtual device corresponding to the actual intelligent electronic device in his system. No programming is necessary to configure the computerized power management control system. Thus, the pre-programmed virtual electronic devices save a great deal of time and money in configuring the system. However, the functionality (i.e., the output and/or control functions) of such pre-programmed virtual electronic devices cannot be customized without re-programming the virtual device and incurring the time and money costs of such reprogramming. Fortunately, most intelligent electronic devices do not require such customization because they are not, themselves, customizable.
However, the use of pre-programmed virtual devices is problematic for a computerized power management control system including modular relay devices. As previously noted, modular relay devices can be customized to many configurations. In addition, modular relay devices are capable of outputting numerous readings, which can provide traffic to a communications network. Therefore, it is necessary for the user to create a customized virtual electronic device and incur the time and money costs of reprogramming.